Investigators: Speed may have been factor in crash that killed Paul Walker

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KTLA / CNN

(KTLA) Los Angeles – Speed may have been a contributing factor in the fiery single-car crash that claimed the life of actor Paul Walker and a friend, investigators said Sunday.

Walker was a passenger in his friend’s 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, according to a statement issued by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The actor and his friend were attending an event for Walker’s charity, Reach Out Worldwide, to aid Filipino victims of Typhoon Haiyan.

Walker, 40, was best known for his role in the “Fast and the Furious” movie franchise.

Universal, which produced the films, issued a statement Saturday evening.

“All of us at Universal are heartbroken,” the statement said. “Paul was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our studio family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us, to everyone involved with the ‘Fast and Furious’ films, and to countless fans. We send our deepest and most sincere condolences to Paul’s family.”

Sheriff’s deputies responded about 3:30 p.m. to the 28300 block of Rye Canyon Loop (map), where they found a vehicle engulfed in flames, the Sheriff’s Department said.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire, the statement said.

Two victims were located inside the vehicle and were pronounced dead at the scene, the Sheriff’s Department said.

“Speed was a factor in the solo vehicle collision,” the department said in a statement. “The car was a red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT.”